CA Devonshire/CL Boise TF is already on station at Port Blair. CA Chicago TF and BB Warspite TF depart Colombo tonight. CV Saratoga and CV Illustrious TF are just east of Colombo, true, and make full steam into the Bay of Bengal.

This is interesting. Chez has to be aware that you have carriers in the Indian Ocean. Without KB escort, he could be sending valuable ships and even more valuable troops into the lion's mouth. And yet, I'm assuming you still have tabs on the KB at Cam Ranh Bay?

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Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

You can slam the door on him & at minimum, make sure that none of those ships carry another troop & cut down some more valuable surface forces. I bet he's wagering that the majority of your ships are either back in the Pacific or in the DEI & out of position to intercept.

12/26/42Burma Region: The big IJN transport TFs continue moving NE towards Moulmein. A USN sub gets one xAK and Blenheims out of Port Blair damage another. CA Devonshire and CL Boise try for an intercept tonight. More combat ships are a few days away and Saratoga is probably three days away from contributing. I estimate the IJ convoy will arrive at Moulmein day after tomorrow though it might not commence unloading until the third day. Lots of Japanese strike aircraft in proximity, especially at Rangoon. I'm not seeing any stout combat escorts, but they have to be there. I think the Japanese carriers are at Cam Ranh Bay, but I'm not positive. I do know there's know way Steve would send them into the Andaman Sea (guaranteed). He could post them near Bangkok to try for long-range strikes near Moulmein.

Western DEI: Lots of IJ shipping at Singapore and Sinkep. Some Allied cruiser TFs will sniff at both tomorrow.

Eastern DEI: Still completely quiet. Aussie brigade should begin unloading at Morotai day after tomorrow.

NoPac: Balance of 41st Infantry Division (90 AV) arrives at Paramushiro in about two days - this battalion had been at Dutch Harbor since April. If it makes it ashore in good order, Para's garrison goes to about 750 AV.

So, your NorPac position should be just about nigh-invulnerable at this point, correct? He's got a tiger at the front door while the wolf is at the back....he doesn't really have any good options at this point.

My NoPac positions are not as vulnerable as they once were, but a determined attack would easily take them if I don't reinforce before end of winter. However, I think Steve "assumes the worst" whenever he sees a large number of units at a base. I think his native nervousness, supply, fort level and the likelihood that the Allies will reinforce will prevent him from reclaiming Paramushiro.

The Allies should end 1942 in something like this position:

1. Strong position in NoPac that represents threat to Japan, so that Steve is kept nervous. 2. On the offensive in Burma. Though this isn't critical to the Allies, it is to Japan. We're playing with "house money" here. 3. Strong position in western DEI from which the Allies will soon neutralize Signapore and threaten western and eastern Borneo. Japan's LOC to Java is getting squeezed, though Steve doesn't know it yet (see 4.) 4. Surprisingly strong and complex network of bases being established in the eastern DEI that will pose a threat to Java and even the southern Philippines if not dealt with. I think Steve has about three weeks left to recognize and deal with this threat before it gets away from him.

5. Pacific: The Allies have a good position (for late 1942) in New Guinea and in the SoPac islands (Tarawa, Tabituea and Ndeni) to threaten Japan, though in my estimation this theater is totally irrelevant and won't get any attention during the first half of 1943.

12/27/42Singapore: CA Cornwall leads a task force the blast CA Tone out of the water, gaining a measure of revenge for Tone's dispatch of CA Frobisher just a week ago. By my count, at least nine and perhaps as many as eleven IJN heavy cruisers have gone under, plus one CS. So, Steve might have at best nine CAs left (and one of those is in the yards for awhile). That must be pretty daunting to allocate eight CAs around the entire Pacific.

Bay of Bengal: CA Devonshire misses the intercept of the enemy transport fleet. Not sure yet whether that fleet is bound for Moulmein or Rangoon. Devonshire will head to Moulmein. Up at Magwe, after three days rest the ground troops still have 50 disruption, so they'll have to rest more before attacking.

SWPac: 7th Aussie brigade should begin unloading at Morotai tonight. SigInt shows a TF with APs near Davao on a SE course. That's fairly distant, but I'm anxious to see if Steve is awakening to the situation in the DEI.

NoPac: Enemy patrols are getting good looks at the big USN TF at Para. The balance of 41st Division begins unloading tonight, so the next few days are important.

Attrition, attrition, attrition - he may have the ability to replace his aircraft, but those surface ships are pure platinum at this point. He's crippling the IJN for little or no gain. It is scary to think what it is going to look like when you are able to deploy more significant surface assets against him in the coming months.

12/28/42Bay of Bengal: Hey, I got hoodwinked! I'm thinkin' Steve's transport TF is most likely going to Moulmein, though I consider Rangoon a possibility...but the thought never entered my mind that it would go to Pegu. I have no excuse for that, because I invaded Pegu early in the game! Part of 53rd Division (and who knows what else) is coming ashore. I only have 50 AV present, so I'm not going to hold the base. This will cut off my two Chinese divisions at Moulmein. It won't isoalted my army at Rangoon, though it will be vastly outnumbered in all likelihood. My combat TF probed at Moulmein, so missed the intercept. It will go in tonight and hopefully tangle with the Japanese force, which includes CA Atago. That's the big prize. Another combat TF will weigh anchor at Port Blair tonight, but probably can't make it in one day. Saratoga will take station just east of Port Blair. That's a bit risky due to long-range LBA, mainly from Sabang. Up at Magwe, the Allies will assault again tomorrow.

NoPac: I think an IJN combat TF is heading for Para, probably including BB Hyuga. I've disbanded BB Tennessee in port and left the defense of the base in the hands of CAs Houston and Quincy. The balance of 41st Div. made it ashore unscathed, so Allied AV is 750 now.

SWPac: 7th Aussie brigade is mostly ashore at Morotai. Fiji brigade is just a couple of days out of Sorong. No signs of detection.

DEI: Tons of enemy naval search aircraft suddenly flood the are around Oosthaven and Billiton. Something may be up. I reconfirgure things just in case Steve had a plan based upon what he was seeing. All combat TFs converge at Billiton, thus vacating the more exposed Singkawang. CAP at Billiton enhanced considerably.

I'm confident in my cruisers, but not very much in my slow BBs. I had a previous engagement at Para in which a slow BB got eaten alive. The risk of a bombardment or an air strike is relatively slight. Steve has pretty much given up on bombardments and in winter his air strikes haven't been able to penetrate the good Allied CAP at Para.

I'm confident in my cruisers, but not very much in my slow BBs. I had a previous engagement at Para in which a slow BB got eaten alive. The risk of a bombardment or an air strike is relatively slight. Steve has pretty much given up on bombardments and in winter his air strikes haven't been able to penetrate the good Allied CAP at Para.

Instead of disbanding Tennessee it would be interesting to try separating her from the SCTF with the cruisers in it and using the BB on its own, where it wouldn't slow down the other ships and might force them to battle several TFs. It might get shot up that way as well, but could at least get a few licks in.

I'm confident in my cruisers, but not very much in my slow BBs. I had a previous engagement at Para in which a slow BB got eaten alive. The risk of a bombardment or an air strike is relatively slight. Steve has pretty much given up on bombardments and in winter his air strikes haven't been able to penetrate the good Allied CAP at Para.

Instead of disbanding Tennessee it would be interesting to try separating her from the SCTF with the cruisers in it and using the BB on its own, where it wouldn't slow down the other ships and might force them to battle several TFs. It might get shot up that way as well, but could at least get a few licks in.

I agree with CR. I've done the sme thing before. It isn't so much their slow speed as you are sitting in the port waiting for an incoming raid or sallying forth at only one movement phase's distance to intercept the raids so you don't get caught flat footed, it is that fact that they are real torpedo magnets, especially in night encounters that often start at 2000 yards.

12/29/42Bay of Bengal: Things go very well for the Allies in a dangerous, chaotic environment in which they might not have. CA Devonshire/CL Boise TF hammers an IJ troop transport TF at Pegu, sinking a handful and persuading the Japanese to weigh anchor and leave. Then the Allied TF squares off against the CA Atago TF, with a couple of damage-registering hits scored on the IJN flagship. More importantly, the Japanese TF was slowed and had expended ammo, so that when the CA Chicago/CL Honolulu TF came in the table was set. Chicago scored a series of 8" hits on Atago, which was left a burning hulk that may not be able to retire. A number of Japanese DDs were also damaged, some by RAF Vengeance bombers flying out of Toungoo. No Japanese strike aircraft sortied against the vulnerable Allied capital ships.

Pegu: I had feared that Japan had sufficient time to unload a massive army at Pegu, but Japan only brought 53rd Div. and not much managed to get ashore for various and sundry reasons. I'm reading that 53rd is comprised of 175 AV, of which only 100 is combat ready. The Allied force is just 75 AV and is prone to losing a battle, but Japan didn't even attack. Japan should take the base, but it's not a flat-out guarantee.

Magwe: Allied attack comes off at 13:1 and an IJ unit evaporates, a sure sign that the enemy troops are on their last legs. We'll attack again tomorrow.

Padang, Sumatra: The Allies try their first deliberate attack here. It comes off at 1:1 despite the defensive terrain bonus. The Allies take higher casualties (mainly disruption), but will try one more attack tomorrow.

DEI: Lots of enemy patrol planes again. Something must be about to happen. The Allies may move on Banjermasin in about four days.

SWPac: Important day tomorrow as vulnerable Allied transports to unload Fiji brigade and support units at Sorong. No signs of detection here, but that may be about to change. An enemy transport TF is not far from Morotai and Steve is paying alot of attention to Allied shipping moving north out of Sydney. He's going to put this puzzle together very soon and figure out that something bad has been going on in the eastern DEI.

NoPac: Nothing happened, but I think an IJN combat TF is at Shimishura Jima.

New Years: The string of bad things for Japan continues. New Years is a time to pause for reflection. It is possible that Steve could take stock of his sitaution give the date. He will probably elect to proceed, but we'll see if the subject of surrender is broached. I'm fine with the game continuing - it offers some relief from the carnage of my game with PH - but I'm also fine if it ends as carrying on two games is very hard for me. Whatever happens, though, the Allies are just in a marvelous position entering 1943.

12/30/42 and 12/31/42 So many opportunties; so few assets and political points!

Eastern DEI: This theater is wide open. The Allies have multiple TFs at forward bases (Sorong and Morotai) with no detection. A Japanese transport TF is at nearby Manado and I have a good DD TF at Morotai. I am avoiding the temptation to strike in the belief that it's better to occupy and build on the sly as long as possible. Garrison troops are entroute to Talaud Eilendan, just south of Mindanao and I just bought an Aussie battalion to send there. I wish I had more troops to devote to this productive theater. I'm weighing whether to divert some of the Indian units slated for the invasion of Banjermasin. Those transports are already at Oosthaven, so it would take a good ten days or two weeks (or more) to get them in place. I'll probably stick to the current plan. But I may well send the Allied carriers from the Bay of Bengal around into the eastern DEI at some point.

Western DEI: Musashi, Hiei and Yamashiro, plus CA Furutaka, bombard Singakwang, doing modest damage to the airfield. I shake my head in appreciation of this intel coup for the Allies. Steve may be bringing in supplies or reinforcements for Kuching - or possibly even counterinvading Singkawang (ar adjacent Sambas). Any of these scenarios suits me very well. If a major altercation develops, the Allies should be able to use it to shield the amphibious move on Banjermasin. Speaking of which, the airfield at Sampit is about to go to level two, which will help with local CAP. Successive Allied attacks at Padang really weakened my besieging army. It will be a long time before I can attack again.

Burma: The Allies moved a UK brigade from Rangoon to Pegu, thus strengthening that besieged city. Still no attack by the IJA 53rd Div. The Allies rested at Magwe and will tomorrow, but the attacks will resume soon. The Japanese army can hold for a few more weeks probably. Saratoga's SBDs picked off three xAK near Victoria Point. Lots of SigInt for IJ troops bound for Tavoy and Bangkok. This is one of dozens of exmaples of Steve having to suddenly and violently react or reinforce hotspots when he had months and months to attend to them easily and securely but didn't.

NoPac: Quiet at the moment. Para's forts go to level five and the airfield will go to six in a few weeks.

New Year's Eve: Steve shows no signs of surrendering, but the Allies are in the most stunningly nice position to end 1942 that I could imagine. I'll post some maps later.

This map may be the best evidence that my opponent has a fixation with the actual area of operations in the war. He has ships and patrols and planes operating out of Miri and Tulagi and Suva - representative of the vast reaches of the Pacific where so much of the war took place for the American forces. But in the eastern DEI....nothing. So the Allies just come and go as they please.

Land at what bases you can in Celebes. If you can isolate both Timor and Java before he knowns you are there, the better for you. I would shift some forces from South Pacific and beyond to this area. Yes, it will take some time, but having a wide shoulder to operate from is great news for you in early 43.

The weight of the Japanese navy and airforce is in the South China Sea region. If the Allies were to advance here, the best course would be to prep a major army to take Kuching. But at present I'd rather devote my troops to more promising locales - mainly the central and eastern DEI.

Land at what bases you can in Celebes. If you can isolate both Timor and Java before he knowns you are there, the better for you. I would shift some forces from South Pacific and beyond to this area. Yes, it will take some time, but having a wide shoulder to operate from is great news for you in early 43.

I can see advantages in Celebes if you can also do those landings on the sly and get building before he knows what's up - but the attempt may also tip him off to your Eastern DEI developments if he sees one move and checks around for other locations. Above all I don't like that base way up the bay in central Celebes - looks too easy to interdict by sub or fast surface TF. Banjermasin may be a resisted landing, but it is sure to rivet his attention on Borneo for a while longer and help cover your other moves. Nice to have such great options!

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I have not yet begun to fight! OTOH I have not yet begun to flee. Hmmmmm - choices, choices -always with the choices.

Action in the Andaman Sea rim and Burma. The Allies really don't have a strong army in Burma, but have been able to go on the offensive and actually take some key bases...only because the Japanese were even weaker. Now things are slowing down as Steve reinforces. The Allies will try to keep up the pressure - to hold Steve's attention here.

The Happy Tranquility in the eastern DEI will and must come to and end. Steve might catch wind of it - a lucky SigInt report, a wandering sub seeing something, a newly placed patrol squadron, a hunch, or whatever. That's okay, as at some point the Allies have to make known their presence. The first phase has been to occupy, beef up the garrison, and build each airfield right to the brink of level one (and then halt to prevent a report of the airfield being generated in the operations report). But I've got to build the airfield (and port) in order to bump up the supply to some kind of reasonable level. So the plan is something like this:

1. The Allies will continue to lay low until the airfields are all at about 98% readiness (Taberfane and Saumlaki are there; Sorong, Boela and Morotai have a ways to go). Then trigger all airfields to build. Simultaneously, Steve will get a report of at least five airfields going operational in the DEI. :) 2. Pre-position supply ships to go into each base as soon as the airfields expand (at which point supply limits should increase to 17k). 3. (In the meantime, of course, the Allies will be continuing to bring garrison troops forward as quickly and as long as possible.) 4. Coinciding with the airfield increase, the Allied carriers and amphibious TFs spring into the Banda Sea and move on Celebes. The Allies will have a network of airfields with patrol squadrons to the north and west (Morotai and Sampit at a minimum, possibly also Dadjangas if, as planned, the Allies air transport in a base force and some supply). This should provide warning of a move by the the KB. The Allied carriers really won't be in "Indian country." They'll have a number of interlocking, though small, airfields just to the east.

The decision about where I'm going is a pretty complicated one, but I won't be going into the Philippines in the near future, that's for sure (unless Steve did something crazy like commit the KB to the Bay of Bengal or the Aleutians).

The KB is at maximum power now while the Aliled carrier fleet is still at July 1942 levels - outnumbered and outgunned. I'm not going to stick my nose into a hornet's nest. It is unlikely that the Allies will be able to move into the Philippines prior to mid 1943.

I think the Allies have the choice of three vectors of attack in the western reaches of map right now:

1. South China Sea - the epicenter of Japanese air and sea power. Only one target makes sense - Kuching. That would be a relatively safe undertaking due to proximity, but it is stoutly defended meaning a large Allied army must be committed there. That doesn't make sense if the Allies could better use those troops to make deeper inroads elsewhere.

2. Makassar Straits and Balikpapan: I like this idea, but Steve should see it coming. It is far enough in advance of the closest Allied airfield that the Allies would be outgunned unless a successful maskirovka were used to draw Steve into the South China Sea.

3. Consolidate in the eastern DEI and hit the Celebes: The risk of ambush will be low due to a strong network of airbases; I think the Allies can successfully spring the carriers and amphibious ships into the region before Steve is aware of what's happening. The establishment of good garrisons at multiple bases in the Celebes, joined with the Allied move on Sampit (and probably Banjermasin) in the west and the various island in the east gives the Allies very broad shoulders, isolates Java and Timor, and puts Balikpapan in close proximity of major bases.